Lower Brule and Crow Creek Tribal Compensation Act

The Lower Brule and Crow Creek Tribal Compensation Act (S. 374) seeks to increase the amount of federal funding provided to two South Dakota tribes as compensation for land lost during the construction of dams along the Missouri River. The bill would raise the total amount deposited into the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe’s trust fund to approximately $129.8 million and the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe’s trust fund to approximately $69.2 million.

For the members of these tribal nations, this legislation provides additional financial resources to support infrastructure development and community projects intended to mitigate the long-term economic and environmental damage caused by the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin Program. By accepting these increased funds, the tribes would agree that this payment constitutes the final settlement for all damages related to the construction of the Fort Randall and Big Bend Dams.